Towards an optimized blood plasma separation chip: Finite element analysis of a novel corner structure in a backward-facing step

摘要

The separation of plasma from human blood is usually the initial step prior to blood analysis. In order to achieve a fully integrated blood analysis on chip, a method to efficiently separate high quality plasma from blood is crucial. Fluidic vortices in backward-facing step geometries are widely used for separation or focusing of particles/cells in solution. We introduce and optimize a novel corner structure which enhances the vortex area, responsible for the separation effect, by a factor of approximately 6. In the simulation study, two parameters of the chip geometry (angle of the corner structure and step height) are varied independently. Final results of particle traces with particle properties similar to human red blood cells show promising results for applying such structures in blood plasma separation chips.